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Wednesday, 6 July 2016

2013 ELECTION RESULTS STILL NOT KNOWN

Swaziland’s Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC)
has yet to announce the number of votes cast for candidates in the September 2013
national elections, nearly three years after they took place. Nor has the total
number of people who voted been given.

This was noted in a report just published by Action
for Southern Africa (ACTSA).

It stated, ‘Under the
Tinkhundla system, local chiefs who report directly to the King vet candidates
who are nominated by a show of hands (candidates require 10 people to support
them).

‘Successfully nominated candidates then compete in
popular elections at the chiefdom level, with winners going on to compete at
the Inkhundla (an administrative subdivision) level, where the new Members of
Parliament (MPs) are selected by popular vote.’

ACTSA stated, ‘This system gives local chiefs undue
influence over the electoral process. It is more a selection than a free
election process.

‘In the 2013 elections, some candidates said they were
not nominated as they failed to catch their chief’s eye. A former MP, Jennifer
Dupont, lost her husband on the eve of the election. The local chief ordered
his subjects not to vote for her, as a widow under Swazi law and custom is
deemed unclean.

‘Another chief ordered his subjects not to vote for a
woman wearing trousers. Only one woman was elected to parliament.’

ACTSA reported, ‘The 2013 elections were criticised by
most international observers. They failed to meet most of the SADC principles
for conducting democratic elections. The African Union’s (AU) Election
Observation Mission said that Swaziland should change its constitution so that
it conforms with international principles for free and fair elections.

‘Furthermore, the Mission urged the Swazi government
to “… to respect, protect and fulfil the rights to freedom of expression,
freedom of association and freedom of assembly”.

‘In addition, the Commonwealth Observer Mission noted
the presence of police at polling stations, compromised privacy in polling
booths and identifying factors on ballot papers that prevented anonymity. The
Mission recommended that the constitution should be revisited, ideally “through
a fully inclusive, consultative process with all Swazi political organisations
and civil society to harmonise provisions which are in conflict … to ensure
that Swaziland’s commitment to political pluralism is unequivocal’”.

ACTSA reported, ‘The Swaziland Elections and
Boundaries Commission (EBC), which ran the election, has still not announced
the total election turnout or the number of votes cast for unsuccessful
candidates. Some have questioned the independence of the EBC, which is chaired
by Chief Gija Dlamini.

‘He was appointed to the position by his half-brother,
King Mswati III. According to the constitution, the chair of the EBC should be
a judge: Chief Gija is an electrical engineer. Following the election, the King
re-appointed his half-brother, Barnabas Dlamini, as Prime Minister. Ten of
Mswati III’s siblings were among the King’s appointments to the House of
Assembly and the Senate.’

Political parties are banned from taking part in
elections in Swaziland. The House of Assembly is composed of 65 members; the
people select 55 and 10 are appointed by the King. The Senate has 30 members;
20 are appointed by the King and 10 are appointed by the House of Assembly;
none are directly elected by the people.